Chute for the delivery of material such as coal



March 8, 1952 D. JACKSON ET AL CHUTE FOR THE] DELIVERY OF MATERIAL SUCH AS GOAL 2 SHEETS- HEET l ZNVENTGR .wN WW AN kw mw March 18, 1952 D. JACKSON ET AL CHUTE FOR THE DELIVERY OF MATERIAL SUCH AS COAL 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed June 13, 1947 XMM Patented Mar. 18, 1952 CHUTE FOR THE DELIVERY OF IVIATERIAL SUCH AS COAL David Jackson and James Thomson, Glasgow,

Scotland, assignors to Mavor & Coulson, Limited, Glasgow, Scotland Application June 13, 1947, Serial No. 754,472 In Great Britain November 22, 1944 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-41) This invention refers to chutes for the delivery of material such for instance as coal, and it is particularly although not exclusively concerned with shaking chutes for directing the output of a conveyor in a coal mine into trains of separate tubs or like vehicles for transport to the surface. Modern high speed. mining methods make special demands on such shaking chutes. In discharging say coal into rapidly changed tubs, it is desirable that the discharge of coal should be interrupted for a short space of time commensurate with the usual space between adjacent tubs as each tub moves out of the filling position and the next tub moves into that position.

Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a chute for directing the output of a conveyor to vehicles in succession with a door which controls the discharge of the chute and which is open only when a vehicle is in the filling one vehicle after another is moved by said ap-.

paratus into and out of the filling position, and control means for co-relating the operation of the doors power means with the vehicle-moving apparatus so that the door is opened when a vehicle is moved into said position, is maintained open while the discharge is distributed in the vehicle and is closed before the filled vehicle is moved from said position.

Another object is to provide a, pressure-fluid ram unit for opening and closing the door in combination with a pressure-fluid ram unit for advancing the vehicles to the door.

Another object is to provide in a shaking chute system a discharge section which is stationary, i. e. non-shaking, which stationary section carries the door and also carries power-operated mechanism for opening and closing the door. Generally, the said mechanism will be of pressurefiuid type, but it may be electrical.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation oi a coal delivering installation including a shaking chute system in combination with tub-moving apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of components of the tubmoving apparatus. Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing components of the tub-moving apparatus applied to a tub, which is shown in simple outline. Fig. 4 is a diagram of a hydraulic control system incorporated in the installation.

Referring to the drawings, the shaking chute system includes a shaking chute 5 supported at opposite ends by rollers 6 which ride upon rails 1 on stationary structures 8 and 9. The structure 8 is incorporated in the framework at the delivery end of a coal conveyor. A power-oscillated arm Ill journaled on the structure 8 -is connected by a link ll to the chute 5. The structure 9 is the stationary delivery end section of the shaking chute system. A door I: is hinged at its lower edge, at [3, to the section 9. The door has side checks l4, each of which is connected by a link IE to power-actuated mechanism for opening and closing the door. The mechanism includes a quick-acting hydraulic unit I6 on the section 9, the ram ll of the unit being connected to a bell-crank lever l8 connected in its turn to the link [5.

In operation of the chute system, the chute 5 receives a reciprocatory shaking motion from the. mechanism I0, II and delivers coal to-the stationary section 9, which provides in conjunction with the hinged door I2 a hopper of sufficient capacity to contain the coal that is prevented from being discharged by the door while closed. The door is opened and closed at appropriate intervals (as hereinafter described) by the mechanism [5 to [8, the coal being discharged while the door is open.

The chute system is arranged to deliver the discharged coal at a loading station, or filling position, to a train of separate interconnected tubs in succession; twenty-one tubs is a, customary number in a train. In Figs. 1 and 3, tubs l9 are shown in simple outline, the tubs running on a line of rails 20 (Fig. 3). As shown, adjacent tubs [9 are spaced apart. These rails extend under the chute section 9. The train is brought to the loading station and thereafter the tubs are moved in succession below the door l2 by means of hydraulic apparatus, the function of which is to push a tub into appropriate positional relation with the door, which is closed for the time being; then, when the door is opened, to push the tub slowly forward, thus distributing orv trimming the coal in the tub; next, the door being again closed, to push the nexttub into appropriate positional relation with the door, thus forcing the first-mentioned truck beyond the door; and so on.

The hydraulic apparatus includes two doubleacting hydraulic ram units 2| and 22, both fixed longitudinally at ground level between the rails 20. The rams 23 and 24 of the respective units each have a head plate 25 with wheels 25 which run on rails 21, and they each have a pair of pivotal arms 28 forming a one-way catch bar for engagement with the tub axles 28. Each catch bar 28 is urged upwards (say'by spring or weight means, not shown) to a raised position in which the catch bar can grip and push an axle. as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. catch bar' is yieldable downwards, so that an axle can pass over it without obstruction when the tub is being pushed forwards.

In the example, the unit 21 is slow-acting, be" ing placed more or less below the section 9. The unit 22 is designed to act at a higher speed and its stroke is much longer than that of the unit 2|, behind'which the unit 2'2'islocated in alignment.

The unit It of the door :2 and met-inns 2i and- 22 of the tub-pushing apparatus are" incorporated in the same hydraulic system, as'Fig. 4 shows. The hydraulic system also includes an oil reservoir 30, an oil pumps! driven by an electric motor 32 (Fig. 1);, control means consisting, of two distributing valves: 3-3 and 34, having control handles 35 and 35: respectively fortheir operation, and interlock valves 3? and 38 which control the working relation between th'BldOOI unitlG and the tub-pushing apparatus.- Each ofthe control handl'esr35' and-3t hassithreeavailable positions, referred to herein as the first, second and third positions;

In Fig; l the components-50f thehydra'ulic system-are shown connected by appropriate'piping. In this diagram, the components areshown;withoutregard toth'eir" true positional relationship for simplicity and clearness of' illustration; the approximate'positional relationship of the come ponentscan be gathered fromsF'ig; l, from'which the piping is omitted. The valve" 3'! has tappets 39 and at opposite ends of its valve rod, which is actuated by'a striker 41 arranged on the" ram 24 of theunit 22'in-order to cooperate withithe tappets 39 and t9. Thevalve 38:has.a tappet 42. on its valve rod, the bell-crank lever i3 as striker to the tap'pet 42. Stop. valves 55" are connected at appropriate points int-he piping of the hydraulic system.

The pump 3! draws'oil 'from'the reservoir 30- and discharges the oil under pressure to 'the'distibuting valves 33 and 3 i'through pipes 35' and 45. In the first (or neutral) position'cfthecontrol handles 35 andSt, the oil returns through pipes 46 and 45 to return pipes'S and il'leading back to the reservoir- 353, thus circulating idly,-

Assume that thedoor i2 is closed and'that-an empty tub I9, cneof a-train ofinterconnected, tubs, has" to be advanced for filling'with coal.

The: door ram l'lis'fully advanced and thet'appet 32 depressed by the lever IS. The tub-advanc ingram'24 is fully withdrawn, with its catch bar ZB engag-ing an axle 29=of the tub next behind the-tub to befilled; The coal-trimmingram 23 alsois-withdrawn; its catch bar 28 being inactive.

Inoperation of the hydraulic system, a worker moves th'e control handle SB'into its second position. Thus; the oil-passing -throu-gh' the'valve 34' is-cut off from the return pipes 48 iteand it! and is e-supplied by: way; ofa pipe 48;: the--valve- 38 serving and a pipe 59 to the working end of the unit 22, so that the ram 24 is quickly advanced from its cylinder. In this way, the tub engaged by the unit 22 and the tub or tubs ahead of it are advanced, and the arrangement is such that the first empty tub comes below the doorat the forward limit of the stroke of the ram 2 3. Oil passes from the return end of the unit 22 through a' pipe 5G and the valve 35 to the return pipes 46 4B. and 41. It is essential to this train-advancing movement that the door 12 must be fully closed (in order to maintain the valve 38 properly positioned). Thus, as this movement involves passage of an inter-tub space of the train through the loading station, coal cannot be discharged between the tubs and loss of coal is prevented.

At' about the end of this train-advancing movement, the striker 41 engages the tappet 39' and actuates the valve 37, so that oil is supplied from the pipe 58, a pipe 5!, the valve 3'! and a pipe 52 to the door-opening end of: the unit 15. Thus the ram ll is quickly withdrawn into its cylinder and opens the door i2, oil'returning from the other end of the unit US bya pipe 53 and the valve 37 to the return pipe' 46-. At the start of the door-opening movement, the lever it releases the previously depressed tappet 42; so that the working: end of the unit 22 is cut-off from the oilsupply pipe. The timing of the operations is such that? the door 12 is fully opened by the quick action of the unit i5 at about the instantv when-thetub-advancing unit 22 completes its. working At this instantthe front axle of the first empty tub moves over the catch bar 25' 0f stroke.

the unit 2!, and the catch bar engages it;

The apparatus is nowready: for' the trim ming operation. Thereforethe" worker moves the control handle 35 into its second position; so that oil is supplied from" the pipe 44" through the valve 33 and a pipe 54 to the workingi end of the unit 2!, the ram 23 of which slowly ad'- vances the engaged tub as it fills with coal;

Meantime, oil returns from the other end of; the unit 25 through a pipe 55, the valve? 33 and the pipe 46' to the return pipes 46,. 41.

Moreover, the worker moves" thecontrol' handle" 35'into its third position, in-wl'iich the returnand of the tub-advancing unit 22 is connected through the pipe 59 and theivalve 34"" to the oil supply pipe 45, so that the ram' 24 is. 're-' tracted into its cylinder; cil'from'the'. other. end

of the unit 22 passing through the pipe: 4'9"and the valve 42 to the'return'pipe'fl. Iniaddiand returns the valve 3-! to itsfinitial' position,

in which the connections through the valve: 3.1 are reversed, namely, the temporarily" cut oii" pipe 38 is connected thrdugliwthepipefi'fi valve" 31' and pipe 53- to the door-closing end 02f the unit 16, and theotherend-thereof is connected through the pipe 52 andvalveti tothefreturn pipe 42-.

I2 on the return later-or the control handle 35 into its second position: When the'tub b'e ing filled is about full, the worker moves the control handle 35 to its third position, in:which' oil is supplied from the pipe" Mir-through the" valve 33 and pipe 55 tothe-return'endmfithe uni-t2], oil passing-from the:oppositeend 'theres" Thus, the connections to the unit ii are re-set in'rea-diness-to' close the door of through the pipe 54, valve 33 and pipe 46 to the return pipes 46 and 47. Finally, the Worker returns the control handle 38 through its first position to its second position, thus supplying oil from the pipe :35 through the valve 34, pipe 48, pipe 5|, valve 31 and pipe 53 to the door-closing end of the unit 16. Thus the door I2 is closed when the leading tub is fully advanced to the end of its trimming movement. As the door closes, the lever l8 strikes the tappet 42 and returns the valve 38 to the position in which oil is supplied to the working end of the unit 22, which therefore engages another tub of the train and pushes that tub and those in front of it sufficiently to remove the last filled tub from the loading station and to bring the now first empty tub thereinto. Thus, the cycle of operations is ended and another cycle is started. As will be understood, the new first empty truck is next engaged by the unit 2| and the necessary trimming operation is performed as the tub is loaded. The cycle of operations is repeated for each successive tub of the train.

In another patent application of even date, now Patent No. 2,572,687, by John Anderson and Andrew Fraser, of which Mavor & Coulson, Limited, are assignees, the invention claimed concerns a vehicle-moving apparatus including two pressure-fluid ram units, one of which can advance a vehicle into a loading station and the other of which can impart a trimming movement to said vehicle while in said station.

We claim:

1. A chute for discharging the output of a conveyor to a fillin position for vehicles separated by inter-vehicle spaces, a door operatively associated with the discharge end of said chute, a pressure-fluid operated unit connected to said door for opening and closing it, pressure-fluid operated apparatus for moving the vehicles in succession into the filling position, a pressure fluid system incorporating both said unit and said apparatus, control means also incorporated in said pressure fluid system to control operation of said apparatus and said unit, and a valve connected in said system and actuated by said unit in the closed position of said' door to set said control means into condition for advancing the vehicles so as to bring an inter-vehicle space past the closed door.

2. A chute for discharging the output of a conveyor to a filling position for vehicles separated by inter-vehicle spaces, a door operatively associated with the discharge end of said chute, a pressure-fluid operated unit connected to said door for opening and closing it, pressure-fluid operated apparatus for moving the vehicles in succession into the filling position, a pressure-fluid system, manually operable distributing valve means in said system for operatively connecting said system to said unit and said apparatus, mechanically operable valve means in said system operatively associated with said apparatus, said mechanically operable valve means being actuated by said apparatus, said mechanically operable valve means being actuated by said apparatus to set said system for a door-opening operation by said unit whenever a vehicle is advanced by said apparatus into the filling position and being actuated by said apparatus to set said system for a door-closing operation by said unit whenever a filled vehicle is ready for movement by said apparatus from said filling position, and a valve device connected in said system and actuated by said unit in the closed position of said door to set said system for operation of said distributing valve means so that the vehicles Will be advanced to bring an inter-vehicle space past the closed door.

D. JACKSON. JAMES THOMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 588,899 Dodge Aug. 24, 1897 1,079,718 Piercy Nov. 25, 1913 1,898,021 Schellentrager Feb. 21, 1933 2,149,710 Smith Mar. 7. 1939 2,288,763 Winship et al. July 7. 1942 2,317,175 Burdick Apr. 20, 1943 

